1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cradle for a handheld electronic device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a handheld electronic device cradle with enhanced heat-dissipating capability.
2. Description of the Related Art
In this information conscious society, our reliance on electronic products increases every day. Following our need for a higher communicating speed, better performance, a lighter device and a compact design, a variety of handheld electronic devices are out in the market. At present, the most common handheld electronic devices include cellular phones, smart phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs). Through these handheld electronic devices, communication is no longer restricted to the office. In fact, people can communicate with each other anywhere and at any time.
Through the increase in processing speed of CPUs (central processing units) and the development of Internet and wireless communication techniques, handheld electronic devices are no longer used mainly for single-purposed information processing. The handheld electronic devices are now often used as a converged device for performing wireless communication, connecting to Internet, playing games and serving as a multi-media unit. Because the handheld electronic device is usually powered by a rechargeable battery, battery capacity is a principal factor determining the duration of operation of the handheld electronic device. When the electrical power of the rechargeable battery runs out, the user usually puts the handheld electronic device on a cradle which is connected with a power supply, whereby the battery can be charged.
It should be noted that, during the charging of the battery, the temperature of the handheld electronic device will increase due to heat generated for charging the battery. The lift of the temperature of the handheld electronic device is exacerbated for a converged handheld electronic device, for example a smart phone, which has a variety of functions combined in a single device. When the smart phone is put on the cradle, it simultaneously executes data exchange with a host computer connected with the cradle, and wireless communication with other mobile phones through a cellular phone network, in addition to the work that the battery in the smart phone is charged by the cradle. Sometimes, the temperature increased may exceed the rated temperature limitation of the smart phone. When this happens, the smart phone is not able to function normally. Moreover, the temperature increased may cause the battery to overheat, which could lead to a disastrous explosion. Therefore, how to effectively remove heat generated by the handheld electronic device from the device when it is put on the cradle for charging its battery becomes an issue to handheld electronic device manufacturers.